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They sleep during the day. They awaken at night. They are among us, and yet not quite fully human. It’s a … ZOMBIE! No, wait, .. it’s a BABY! … Huh?
A Baby’s First Book of Zombies is a new book for young children and their parents, from illustrator Marc Scheff and author Justin Reich. The book playfully explores the parallels between babies and zombies and the process by which parents slowly become zombies during their first year of parenthood. By alternating between scenes which are very silly and scenes that are just a little bit creepy, the book helps young children begin to learn the joys of incorporating monsters into their imaginary worlds.
Over 600 illustrators worldwide took part in 3×3 Magazine’s first annual income survey. Illustrators were asked to break down their annual income by source and amount—charts and graphs compare income by age, gender and country and there were quite a few surprises. As 3×3 founder Charles Hively said, “We didn’t know what to expect since no one I know had done this type of survey before. But I was pleasantly surprised when I found that the top illustrators are making what top designers and art directors make. Comparing our information with what I receive annually about designers from the AIGA, and about art directors from a variety of industry sources, illustrators are on par with their counterparts in design and advertising. And in a number of instances exceed what they’re making.” He went onto add, “Once the word gets out our hope is that this will foster a new respect for illustration by the folks who commission them.”
The 88-page booklet includes information that shows percentages that are illustrators but also educators, graphic designers, and animators. And how many have interns or employees, how many have health insurance and what their relationship with reps is. Information includes the high and low income for each country as well as the average income for illustrators in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia.
Well over 200 hours have been spent in compiling, analyzing and presenting the results in easy-to-read charts and graphs; the booklet is available as a print-on-demand book and an affordable downloadable pdf direct from the 3×3 website.
1 Comments on Get 3×3 Magazine’s 2010 Illustrator Income Survey!, last added: 10/28/2011
Episode 80 of the Escape from Illustration Island Podcast features an audio interview with Illustrator Gerard Dubois. Together we discuss his distinct approach to his art, as well as his conceptual and technical process.
Here are links to some of the things mentioned on the show:
It’s interesting seeing Gerard’s printed pages on his folio and seeing how a well designed magazine page can let an amazing illustration ‘breath’ and do it’s job. Thanks for the great interview.
wingsart said, on 10/21/2011 4:47:00 AM
I particularly like Gerard’s gothic work. The cover painting for the Edgar Alan Poe collection has a perfect sense of a ghostly, classic tone.
MJC said, on 10/21/2011 6:04:00 AM
The part where you talk about how precise the first sketch is, when you send it to an artdirector is very interesting. I’m figuring out which way is the best…
You can send your client a few very rough sketches and some notes and let him/her choose the concept. This is something I would do for an magazine illustration. The artdirector is happy because you show different options and because there’s a deadline he won’t give a lot of adjustments. BUT if it’s another project, for example: a story, and you have to draw the character or you just know that the client has more specific wishes, I should share the process more often.
I had this experience recently. I had to make a few bookcovers and with the first illustration I showed him a rough sketch, moodboard and notes. After that I gave a color impression and notes. After that I made the final version. Very happy client, but there were a lot of adjustments though in the end, so I thougt let’s do it different with the second cover…
So I made a rough sketch first and thought: “I’m going to surprise the client with the finished version, without sending the clean sketch or color options” This way I thought I would minimise the adjustments.
But the client had something else in mind and I had to make the illustration again, from scratch. I’m wondering what the experience of other illustators is!
wingsart said, on 10/21/2011 6:18:00 AM
I typically work up 3 or 4 ideas in rough sketch form (spending no more than 15-30mins on each) and request feedback on those. In almost all cases the client likes bits of each and requests new roughs, often just one or two, on which they give approval to go ahead to final art. I find this is a good way of presenting your ideas and making the client feel part of the process. As the artist it’s reassuring to know that you’re constantly working in the right direction too.
Mathew said, on 10/23/2011 8:59:00 AM
Thank you Thomas for introducing me to Gerard’s work, I became an instant fan.
Also, I’m very glad you’re starting up the podcast again! Thanks.
Thomas James said, on 10/23/2011 11:23:00 PM
Thanks, Mathew. It’s good to be back, and I was also immediately drawn to Gerard’s work. And, it never ceases to amaze me that awesome artists are very often awesome people as well. Thanks for listening!
Long story short. Mark Kaufman is a partner at Vivitiv, an issue oriented design firm based in Seattle. His illustrations have appeared in publications nationwide including The New York Times, The Progressive, The Stranger, and The Oxford American. – drawmark.com
2 Comments on I Drew This Thing No. 19, last added: 10/20/2011
As we prepare for the highly-anticipated return of the Escape from Illustration Island Podcast, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at 3 episodes that strayed from the traditional format. So, if you’re in the mood for a little something different, give a listen to what we call the ‘Bizarro’ episodes:
Last week, we announced the creation of the new EFII Team, as the next step towards making the EFII Network (Escape from Illustration Island, Illustration Age, etc.) the premier resource for Illustrators, Art Directors, and other creative professionals. Today, we’d like to welcome 2 new fellow Illustrators who are joining the team as Assistant Editors:
Marc Scheff
Marc Scheff is an illustrator whose work has appeared in publications and software including Spectrum, ImagineFX, Corel Painter 11 & 12, The Gorilla Art Fare Art Book, and more. Marc recently co-founded Awesome Horse Studios, the free livestream demo/crit channel. He has also spent the last few years making pretty things at game shops like EA and Gameloft. See and learn more at: www.marcscheff.com
Michael Byers
Michael Byers is a freelance illustrator living in Guelph, Ontario with his fiance and two cats. He spends most of his time in his studio creating whimsical images for editorial and advertising clients. He loves to draw, drink coffee, and collaborate with other illustrators, art directors, art buyers, and anyone else who loves to create. – michaelbyers.ca
Thanks to Marc and Michael for joining the team!
0 Comments on Two New Assistant Editors Join the EFII Team as of 1/1/1900
“The October issue of Digital Arts is now out, and this month we’re all about creative progression.
Digital Arts is here to guide and inspire you on this journey. This issue we look at new ground being broken as creatives combine the handcrafted look and digital into a cohesive whole. Whichever background you’re from, you’ll find a wealth of ideas here.
In the issue you’ll also find our guide to the latest amazing work, up-and-coming creatives, and hot new technology — including an exclusive test of the new Wacom Inkling digital drawing pen!” – (from Digital Arts website)
I’m very excited to announce that the EFII Network (Escape from Illustration Island, Illustration Age, etc.) is taking the first steps towards being a group-run effort. I’m not only relieved to share the reins after more than 2 years of running the show almost entirely by myself, but also eager and grateful for the chance to welcome some new perspectives to our growing network of resources for Illustrators.
The best part is, this move will help to ensure the EFII Network as a sustainable source of inspiration for years to come.
Here’s a look at the current EFII crew:
Thomas James – Editor/Art Director
Thomas James is an Illustrator whose work has appeared in The Los Angeles Times, Seven Days, The City Paper, The Chicago Reader, The Portland Mercury, and many others, and has been recognized by American Illustration. He is also the Editor/Art Director of the popular Illustration website and podcast, Escape from Illustration Island, and is proud to serve on the Board of Directors for the ICON Illustration Conference.
Kelly Weed Stanley – Assistant Editor
Kelly is a freelance Illustrator whose work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators and showcased in a number of galleries around Utah. Some of Kelly’s current clients are the stores Flora and Crafty Wonderland in Portland, Oregon.
Marjolein Caljouw – Assistant Editor
Marjolein Caljouw is an illustrator/artist. She helps people who need illustrations for magazines, books, apps, etc. but also makes (wall)paintings with acrylics and oilpaint. Visit her website here: http://www.marjoleincaljouw.nl/
Mark Kaufman – Assistant Editor
Long story short. Mark Kaufman is a partner at Vivitiv, an issue oriented design firm based in Seattle. His illustrations have appeared in publications nationwide including The New York Times, The Progressive, The Stranger, and The Oxford American. – drawmark.com
Thanks to these fine folks for helping to make the EFII Network a reliable (and growing) resource, and thanks to YOU, our fellow artists
6 Comments on Meet the New EFII Team!, last added: 10/10/2011
Sounds Great! Escape from Illustration has been such a great source for me, I’m excited about whatever is coming up next. Thank you for doing what you do!
twist said, on 10/8/2011 2:05:00 AM
I am quite new to EFII but I find it a fun and interesting spot to drop by. All the best.
Mark Becklund said, on 10/8/2011 4:41:00 PM
This is great news. I hope there will be a podcast soon, yours are the best. I miss listening to the interviews of diffenent illustrators, art directors and agents.
Mattias Käll said, on 10/9/2011 11:45:00 PM
Great! You’re doing a great job Tomas and having some friends to help will hopefully make it all more joyful and even more inspiring to work with. Good luck and it will be nice to follow EFIIs success story into the future.
Thomas James said, on 10/10/2011 10:12:00 AM
Thanks for the enthusiastic support, everyone. I would expect nothing less from you:)
Cheers.
Davor Bakara said, on 10/10/2011 10:46:00 AM
Great news indeed! Keep on rockin’ and big thanks again for your and the hole crew’s passion in all this stuff. I’m looking forward to the next podcast/interview/ICON news/anything!
Long story short. Mark Kaufman is a partner at Vivitiv, an issue oriented design firm based in Seattle. His illustrations have appeared in publications nationwide including The New York Times, The Progressive, The Stranger, and The Oxford American.
9 Comments on I Drew This Thing #18, last added: 10/7/2011
This is great and sadly true, in my case I take care of 2 kids ’cause my wife goes to work, so I’ll add children’s homework instead red bull, but that’s my face!
Congratulations!
Jerry said, on 10/5/2011 7:49:00 AM
Funny!
Thomas James said, on 10/5/2011 8:18:00 AM
And yet not so funny…
Greg Horvath said, on 10/5/2011 8:38:00 AM
This rather funny, but not. Very well done.
Kyle T. Webster said, on 10/5/2011 9:35:00 AM
Great one, Mark!
twist said, on 10/5/2011 2:35:00 PM
Oh no… don’t tell me coffee gives you wrinkles! It says on the packet ‘wrinkle free’.
twist said, on 10/5/2011 6:03:00 PM
I checked again. It says ‘wrinkles free’ – darn! Great pic Mark.
Drawmark said, on 10/6/2011 10:45:00 AM
Thanks everybody. Carry on.
Adele K. Thomas said, on 10/7/2011 8:40:00 PM
Oh man this is so true and funny…yet not funny.
The coffee, cold coffee, and red bull would be replaced with chocolate, cold green tea and computer eyes.
Want a peek inside a day in the life of a Disney artist? Me too.
Digital artist, podcaster, and fountain of knowledge and inspiration Chris Oatley recently took the time to outline in insightful detail the relevant minutia of his daily life, for the education and inspiration of people like you and me who love to play the role of artist/voyeur.
“People always ask me about my daily routine.
Sometimes this question is code for or coupled-with “Do you ever sleep?” and sometimes they just want to know what my work days are like at Disney.
Although a worthwhile productivity talk requires more words than this post can hold, I’ll share about my daily routine and my life at the studio. …which will give a little insight into my disciplines for productivity.” – Chris Oatley
If this sounds like your cup of tea, go check out the full post here.
0 Comments on Disney Artist Chris Oatley Shares His Daily Routine as of 1/1/1900
Fellow Illustrator and Podcaster Kevin Cross just got the full interrogation treatment over at The Artfuls, a fun site for Illustrators like you and me.
Good advice here…
“I prefer to call myself a “professional illustrator” to explain what I do and to squash any misconceptions that this career is just a hobby. ”
I should probably take it.
Long story short. Mark Kaufman is a partner at Vivitiv, an issue oriented design firm based in Seattle. His illustrations have appeared in publications nationwide including The New York Times, The Progressive, The Stranger, and The Oxford American.
11 Comments on I Drew This Thing #17, last added: 9/22/2011
Here at the EFII Network, we’re getting ready to unleash our latest exciting new project, a free service that will match up professional Illustrators who might want a little extra help with potential interns looking for a mentor.
We are so close to launching this baby it’s ridiculous. But we need your help!
Do you wish you had some help managing the various aspects of your business?
Wouldn’t it be nice if there was an easy, no-obligation way to find the right one for you?
Would you be willing to offer a little guidance to a fellow artist in return?
The best part is, you and your intern will have total control over your arrangement. Whether you need a second pair of hands for a one-time project, ongoing help maintaining your mailing list, someone to handle the packing and shipping of prints, or anything else you can think of, what you give and what you get are completely up to you.
If this sounds even slightly interesting to you, please send us an email at illustrationisland(at)gmail.com with the subject line ‘Mentor’ letting us know you’d like more information. We’ll put you on our list for a sneak peak at the service and a closer look at what’s involved.
We are very excited about the potential for this new project, and a handful of artists have signed up already. Thanks in advance and stay tuned for more details soon!
Thomas James – EFII Editor
9 Comments on Get a Free Intern for Your Illustration Business, last added: 9/21/2011
I would love to teach a young person interested in illustration in exchange for some computer help.
Great idea, hope it works out!
Thanks
Frank
Thomas James said, on 9/18/2011 7:37:00 PM
Thanks Frank. I’ll be in touch!
Frank Scicchitano said, on 9/18/2011 7:40:00 PM
Thank you, Thomas :)
Matthew said, on 9/19/2011 3:15:00 AM
Ah, great…more people working for free that should be paid. The intern system is more often than not abused. If you have so much work that you need an intern…pay them! You can learn just as easily and be paid for your time!
Thomas James said, on 9/19/2011 4:04:00 AM
There’s nothing wrong with a fair trade of services between two individuals as long as they both agree to the terms. It IS possible to have a mentor/intern arrangement that is a positive thing for both parties.
Frank Scicchitano said, on 9/19/2011 2:01:00 PM
I’m sorry you feel this way, Matthew, but projecting your own views onto others is never a great idea.
I don’t use a computer and the simple work I do need is minimal considering the time and effort I put into teaching the 2 interns I have previously had the pleasure of working with.
I love teaching young people the basics, and I do indeed, think it a very fair ‘trading of services’.
Frank
Chelsea said, on 9/20/2011 10:22:00 AM
Illustration major in my Sophomore year here and I’m on board with this project idea! It sounds wonderful. And in my opinion, a little labor in return for real-world, hands-on experience is more than fair, seeing as college professors come with a hefty pricetag that far exceeds the wages I’m earning anyways.
Become an Illustration Mentor « bandsocialm said, on 9/21/2011 8:25:00 AM
[...] to unleash our latest exciting new project, a free service that will match up professional Il…Show original Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this [...]
Thomas James said, on 9/21/2011 10:51:00 PM
Hi Chelsea,
That’s a really interesting point. I know that I have definitely learned way more out of school than I ever did paying thousands of dollars for college tuition. In my mind, that’s not a fair trade when compared with the real-life lessons I’ve learned through both my own experiences and the valuable advice and guidance of others. I agree that a fair trade of services is the best way to go about internships and mentorships. Hopefully this new project with help that to happen for some. Thanks for your comment, and best of luck.
Thomas
So many of you have been wondering about what’s been going on, or NOT going on, here at Escape from Illustration Island.
And rightly so!
Things have been a little quiet here as of late, at least on the outside. The truth is, there are some very exciting things brewing behind the scenes that will mark a new era for Escape From Illustration Island and allow it to grow even closer to its primary mission: to help our fellow artists escape from their isolation and find their way in the world of illustration (or something like that).
If you thought EFII was awesome before, just wait.
Unfortunately, I can’t share any more details right now, but the image above provides a bit more of a hint of things to come. I know. It’s cruel to tease you in this way, but I thought it would be better to give you at least some kind of update.
So, thanks so much for all your patience and understanding. Please hang in there to see what we have in store.
Thomas James – Editor
10 Comments on The Exciting Future of The EFII Network, last added: 9/15/2011
Thanks for the update! I’ve been going through some serious EFII withdrawl!
davidrvallejo said, on 9/15/2011 1:07:00 PM
Withdrawals for sure! Excited for what’s brewing. BTW, nice illustration.
allanlorde said, on 9/15/2011 1:14:00 PM
This is very welcome news!
Thomas James said, on 9/15/2011 1:24:00 PM
Thanks my friends. I’m looking forward to sharing more ASAP. Cheers.
Colin said, on 9/15/2011 1:32:00 PM
I’ve been missing the podcast as well. Can’t wait to hear about what’s on tap for the future.
Davor Bakara said, on 9/15/2011 2:13:00 PM
I was wondering as well. Thanks for the update. So now we can all wonder even more what’s brewing backstage. Regarding your nice illustration, something gets a lot more bass or similar :) Looking forward to the results. Cheers!
It’s time for Escape from Illustration Island’s overdue results on our recent giveaway of 3 Lifetime Premium accounts on Dripbook!
Thanks to around 200 Illustrators who enthusiastically entered to win this great prize, and thanks also to Alex Wright of Dripbook for this generous donation and for their continued and strong support of the Illustration community.
The 3 lucky winners of EFII’s Dripbook Giveaway are:
It’s giveaway time again at Escape from Illustration Island!
EFII is working with Alex Wright of Dripbook to award lifetime Premium accounts to 3 lucky Illustrators.
With a Premium account, you’ll have access to everything Dripbook has to offer, such as the ability to create image galleries, export portfolio websites and promote customized portfolio “Books” to your target market.
How to Enter
Simply write a message in the comments section of this post by midnight EST on Friday, Sept. 2nd letting us know you’d like to enter.
It’s that easy.
3 winners will be selected using a random number generator and announced on Monday, Sept 5th.
Good Luck!
Special thanks to Alex Wright and the team at Dripbook for their generous donation and for their continued support of Escape from Illustration Island.
Stay up-to-date with future Illustration resources via email, Facebook, and Twitter.
This week, Leif Peng will be taking a close look at Illustrator Barron Storey on his amazing and educational illustration blog, Today’s Inspiration. Word is, he’ll be sharing some of his work, interview excerpts, and other tidbits for the Barron Storey fan in you. Check it out here.
Stay up-to-date with future Illustration resources via email, Facebook, and Twitter.
0 Comments on Barron Storey Feature at Today’s Inspiration as of 1/1/1900
Looking for both inspiration and a feeling of inadequacy about your own studio or dwelling? Check out New York Magazine’s slideshow feature of artist Yuko Shimizu’s apartment here.
Also be sure to check out Episode 30 of the Escape from Illustration Island Podcast for tips on designing your own workspace.
Stay up-to-date with future Illustration resources via email, Facebook, and Twitter.
1 Comments on Yuko Shimizu’s Apartment Featured in New York Magazine, last added: 7/28/2011
“Looking for both inspiration and a feeling of inadequacy about your own studio or dwelling?” Haha no kidding. But I LOVE looking into other studios and am a fan of Yuko’s work since being an undergrad at SVA and seeing her stuff at the school.
Now that we’ve reached the halfway mark of 2011, it’s a great time to reevaluate your business and look back at the goals you set at the beginning of the year.
Back in January EFII made a case for taking stock of your illustration business and setting your sites on the new year. Now that July is coming to a close, it’s a good idea to ask yourself how things are going.
Are you sticking to the promises you made at the start of the year?
Are you moving closer to the goals you set?
What are your failures? Your successes?
What have you learned about the business, and about yourself?
What changes should you be making to your day-to-day business activities, and to your overall goals?
What would you like to accomplish before the end of 2012?
These are just some of the questions you may want to ask when evaluating your progress at the halfway mark, so that you can better prepare yourself for the rest of the year, make adjustments where necessary, and hopefully pat yourself on the back for any accomplishments you may have made. That’s the only way to actively participate in the growth and evolution of your business.
How’s your business doing so far this year? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section of this post.
Special thanks to Sam Washburn for providing the artwork for this post.
About Sam: Sam Washburn is an illustrator working out of St. Louis. Missouri. He loves drawing whimsical and editorial scenes and has had his work recognized by CMYK and the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles.
Work-wise for me it’s been a slower than I would like half year compared to the last couple of years especially. Consumer confidence and the economy has something to with this, but having a new website (since December) has refreshed my attitude. While dipping into seo and social media makes some difference to my business, I still really believe in the ol’ postcard mail outs and targeted folios to prospective clients. This year I am going to be much more focused on the people/businesses I WANT to do work for and also be more active in my personal projects. (in Oz NFY starts July)
Fantasio fine Arts said, on 7/28/2011 1:37:00 PM
Well thats a good question and I wonder why not more people are commenting.
What can I say, my schedule is full, no sign of slow economy here… I have a list about invoices sent and this year, so far has been a blast! There are more invoices sent than in the whole year before. I have to admit, I just started out with the freelance biz about 2 and a half year ago and since then my goal to get new clients was met without getting my word out to them personally – or through application letters. I´d say most commissions are referrals that benefit from my online presence, blog and social media “showing-up” and the rest might be due to publishing. Before the end of 2012 I´d like to be able to put together a book and a calendar of some personal projects, something that I had in mind for a while but was not able because of a lack of time. When contemplating failures or things that can be changed I consider time the most critical point. I´m a very process-oriented guy and feel good when juggling many tasks, but especially on the high-end of the “busy-curve” the extra-time to promote my work on-and-offline would be important-which is quite not possible sometimes and that bothers me the most.
Melanie said, on 7/29/2011 5:46:00 AM
I’m finding that my busy times and slow times are still up-and-down, a bit like a rollercoaster. But the slow times are becoming shorter. I’m frequently working like crazy for 3-4 weeks, followed by a rather quiet week or two. Which kind of suits me.
I’m mostly working on very large, continuous projects – for 3 months this year I worked on a Facebook game which took up most of my time, and right now I’m doing work on a book series which, typically, is 8 books in one batch, with each book taking around 2 weeks. After the 8th book in that batch, there will be a break from that series for about 2-3 months.
And now and then I get smaller, quick jobs that kind of interweave through the big jobs. I think I really like working this way. It’s nice to have something that you’re working on for quite a while, and then have smaller things that come up to give you a bit of variety.
The rest of this year for me will be focused on going hardcore with promotion. I’ve been at this freelance thing for just under 2 years and I’ve been really lucky in that work seems to just fall in my lap. As soon as I start feeling down about things being slow, I’ll get an email or call for a new job. But I doubt that will last, so I figure it’s time to start doing some proper marketing!
Dave Van Etten said, on 7/29/2011 9:00:00 AM
Caught this thread through G+ Sparks, so I missed the first half of the discussion. (I will go back and read it I promise.) Revamping my website has helped a lot this year, although I have been slow with keeping up with relevant posts. Integrating my social with my website has also helped with coverage. Twitter, FB, Stumble, reddit, and G+ all feeding to each other selectively (And to my website) has lightened the connectivity load a bit. I can track three projects back to direct website feedback. Oddly enough, my ongoing webcomic, has produced a few projects as well. I am working the local ADFed this year with mixed results, but it’s nice being connected to the local market after working national for so long. All in all, this year is looking up. It is better than the last two years, but still has a ways to go to be great.
Escape From Illustration Island is collaborating with Dripbook to produce a series of interviews with some of their featured Illustrators, beginning with the following discussion with artist Victo Ngai.
Victo graduated from Rhode Island School of Design majoring in illustration. Her works have received recognitions from American Illustration, Communication Arts, Spectrum, Society of Illustrator New York, LA Society of Illustrator, 3X3, CMYK and Applied Art.
EFII: I often think of you as a “rising star” in the Illustration industry because I see you progressing at an incredible rate, landing killer jobs, and creating work on a seemingly constant positive streak. To what do you attribute your success as an artist?
Victo Ngai: Thanks Thomas! I am very grateful that I have had a good start but I don’t think I am anything close to being successful yet. There are a few things that helped me a lot-
First, dare to desire. There’s a book recommended by Yuko Shimizu called “It’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be”. I find what’s being said in the book very true. I was mediocre in RISD for the longest time but I always wanted to be good-the desire to get better has been the strongest motivation for me to work harder.
Second, work hard on the right things at the right time. For example, it’s easy for students and new illustrators to be overwhelmed and prematurely spend a lot of time on promotion while the priority should really be building a strong portfolio. Looking back, I am glad RISD is relatively sheltered from all the business aspects/ hustling-bustling, I could really have quite time to let my thought sinks, focus on learning and making art.
Third, luck. I have been lucky to have great people around me. My parents are very supportive of my career despite the fact that illustration is not a highly-regarded profession in Asia. My teacher Chris Buzelli has taught me everything I knew about editorial illustration. Art directors like SooJin Buzelli (Plansponsor) and Aviva Michaelov (The New York Times) have taken the risk and given me my first jobs. Friends and mentors have been very generous with great advises and referring me to new art directors…I guess there’s nothing one can do about luck but I believe in Karma- if one is genuine and nice to others, it comes back as a full circle.
EFII:Your work is has a refreshing look to it that stands out well in a growing sea of Illustration. What are some visual influences that make their way into your work?
VN: I am very influenced by things I saw growing up- oriental arts like Chinese Nian-hua and other folk arts and crafts, Japanese Ukiyoe, the skyscrapers, crammed back streets and neon signs in Hong Kong.etc. I have mentioned this in every interview I did before but it’s one of the wisest advice I was ever given- ” Style is overrated, it’s merely a habit of drawing. Everyone has a unique style because everyone has a unique life”-Chris Buzelli. This made me realized being honest to oneself is the key to bring out the uniqueness in oneself.
EFII: Could you share your mental
5 Comments on Interview with Illustrator Victo Ngai, last added: 7/22/2011
Change in plans and Victo Ngai « différance said, on 7/19/2011 10:17:00 AM
[...] I wanted to share something from Escape From Illustration Island today. Thomas did a short interview with Victo Ngai that I really enjoyed. She is a rising artist [...]
Goncalo Viana said, on 7/19/2011 1:47:00 PM
Great to hear more about Vitco, really excellent work!
Juan Carlos Solon said, on 7/19/2011 8:15:00 PM
Amazing as always Victo!! :D
Greg Jackson said, on 7/20/2011 7:10:00 PM
Lovely work with beautiful detail that does not overload the image as a whole. It is easy to see why Victo is so well received.
Episode 78 of the Escape from Illustration Island Podcast features an audio interview with Illustrator Edel Rodriguez. Together we discuss his work as an Illustrator, as well as his thoughts on conceptual thinking and promotion.
Here are links to some of the things mentioned on the show:
Yay! Been waiting! Been looking around trying to find other art related podcasts, now that you’re fortnightly, but there’s nothing nearly as good out there, EFII rules! Congrats, I’ll just have to keep waiting :] Now, to find time to listen…
verityk said, on 6/9/2011 3:10:00 AM
I agree – by far the best podcast around! I haven’t even listened to this one yet (am about to now) but was so happy to see the new podcast up :) Thank you!
Thomas James said, on 6/9/2011 6:54:00 AM
Thanks guys. I definitely understand how hard it can be to wait, especially after being weekly for so long. Thanks for your patience, and thanks for listening! Hope you enjoy this one.
David Vogin said, on 6/9/2011 7:01:00 AM
Fantastic! And having met Edel, I can say that he is also a great person and very easy to talk to. It’s no wonder that his work is everywhere.
Nate Williams said, on 6/9/2011 9:04:00 AM
Another great interview Thomas .. Great hearing about Edel’s background and experience as an art director.
Drawmark said, on 6/9/2011 11:35:00 AM
I’m grabbing this one off the iTunes and am saving it for a flight to hell later this week. That way I can ignore the fat drooling kid and the guy reading golf magazines next to me while Edel and Thomas drop science at 30,000 feet.
Thanks guys, looking forward to it.
Drawmark said, on 6/9/2011 11:38:00 AM
BTW. I’m also going to make a screen grab of this and the I Drew This Thing #16, because that’s the closest my work will ever get to that of Edel Rodriguez and Scott Bakal.
Davor Bakara said, on 6/10/2011 12:58:00 AM
As usual on EFII, a great talk about great work! Thanks for sharing this!
I totally agree with creating and promoting self-assigned illustrations in these areas you really want to work in. Know your target.
Thomas James said, on 6/10/2011 11:14:00 AM
10 bucks says you see an Edel piece in that golf magazine the guy next to you is reading. But I don’t think you would take that bet.
Long story short. Mark Kaufman is a partner at Vivitiv, an issue oriented design firm based in Seattle. His illustrations have appeared in publications nationwide including The New York Times, The Progressive, The Stranger, and The Oxford American.
7 Comments on I Drew This Thing #16, last added: 6/7/2011
Long story short. Mark Kaufman is a partner at Vivitiv, an issue oriented design firm based in Seattle. His illustrations have appeared in publications nationwide including The New York Times, The Progressive, The Stranger, and The Oxford American. – 
Marc Scheff
Mark Kaufman – Assistant Editor
(Illustration by 
10 Comments on Win A FREE Dripbook Account For Life!, last added: 8/30/2011
Trying to give you some money, but complicated. i want to support.